Burning Holograms
by Stormer
Summary: (New chapter April 30 '03 - Roxy introduced). The side of Jem very few people ever see! (Rated for some strong language). Please R/R constructively. :)
1. Ouchies.

**Note:** I didn't invent any of the Holograms characters, but I did make up my own surnames for them. This is a very different portrayal of the Holograms, and if you don't like it, I won't be surprised. Please give _constructive_ criticism if you are going to give any! Thanks for reading, may the Holograms (and the Misfits!) live forever! :)

**Burning Holograms**

**_Ouchies_**

_In a recording studio in downtown [insert name of the city of your choice here], rock star Jem is reading the latest edition of _The Queen of Rock and Roll: Weekly, _which features an article on The Misfits' latest album release_._ She also has a copy of the Misfits' album handy, and is studying the CD booklet intently_…

"'I'm gonna cut her down to size.'" Jem shook her head and sighed. "Man, that is _so_ pathetic."

Shana Gray raised a brow at her, looking gorgeous even with that frizzy purple hair framing her face. "Less pathetic than, say, 'Show me the way, oh, show me the way'?"

Jem glared at the bassist, adjusting one flashing star earring irritably. "Hey, I was younger then. Give me a break."

Shana nodded. "So, give Pizzazz a break. She's younger than you." She sounded so matter-of-fact.

Jem's eyes narrowed. "By two months! Shut the hell up. And anyway, _why_ should I give her a break? That bitch has hounded me from the beginning."

"Hey, she's the competition," Shana said with a shrug. "If we keep cool heads, we can leave her for dead. Not literally." The woman added that last part pointedly, as if Jem had been contemplating maybe _murdering_ the lead singer and guitarist of Jem and the Holograms' greatest rival band, The Misfits. Pizzazz Longhorn wasn't worth _that_ amount of trouble, and Jem resented the implication that she was psychotic enough to contemplate threatening the woman's life.

"I still remember that day you decked her," Shana mused, laughter shining in her violet eyes. "Man, that was fun to watch."

_Well, alright_. _I wouldn't ever_ seriously _harm the woman_. Jem ran long-nailed fingers through her unruly pink-blonde tresses, and gave Shana a look. "It was fun to do, but I don't want another court case like that. So this time, it's not an option."

"What's not an option?" Aja Marten piped up, shuffling into the room with an armful of shopping bags.

Shana straightened and smiled over at their blue-haired bandmate. "Jemmie's thinking about what to do to fuck Pizzazz over once again. We're kinda stumped, though, since grievous bodily harm's no longer an option."

Jem glared as the other two women shared an amused chuckle. "Hey, it was _not_ grievous bodily harm! I simply _hit_ her. She'd already ruined my perm!"

"The perm sucked to begin with," Shana contributed, shrugging casually even as her eyes danced in amusement.

Jem felt almost ready to 'grievously harm' _her_, let alone the ever-annoying Pizzazz. "Oh, shut the hell up if you can't say anything constructive."

Aja's eyebrows climbed, but she said nothing until a few minutes of angry muttering on Jem's part. She was studying the sleeve of the latest Misfits CD single, and her face did in fact look murderous.

"Hey, I got you some more Apricot Angels," Aja said, holding up a box of snacks for Jem to see.

"Oooh!" Jem's bad mood was all but forgotten now. "Thank you!" she exclaimed, and snatched the box out of Aja's hand. As she busied herself with tearing the packet open, she heard Shana mumble, _"At least she'll be distracted for a good hour or so now_._"_ She was too excited by the snacks to snap a response.

* * *


	2. Motivationals

**Burning Holograms**

_Motivationals_

"So…what're we gonna do to top this? They've already gone _platinum_."

Aja fiddled with her pick nervously, having not yet had the guts to speak out like Kimber just had. Jem's face was a thunderhead already, and this wouldn't help her mood.

"I _know_," Jem replied, her voice dangerously quiet. She was the loud and flamboyant type, and if you ever saw her with a face full of fury and heard her talking quietly, you knew something was wrong.

"I say we do a 'Revised Best Of', where we take all our past hits and make remixes of them, or do 'acoustic' versions."

That was Shana, being sarcastic as usual. Aja gave her a look but didn't dare say anything just yet. She wanted to wait and see which person Jem would yell at first—maybe after that, when Aja did speak, Jem would've out-yelled herself. Aja had never been able to bear the brunt of Jem's temper.

"Shut up, Shan," Kimber muttered very quietly, obviously sharing Aja's fears.

"No," Jem said slowly, rubbing at her chin. "No remixes. I have a better idea. How about…" And she looked up and at each one of them in turn, her eyes blazing with fury. "…This time…we all do…some _work_…? Instead of wasting our fucking studio time playing with our Reflectors dolls and fucking _daydreaming_?!" Her voice had got louder as she continued, and by the end it was a shrill cry. Aja longed to cover her ears, but all she did was grimace.

She saw Shana blushing at the mention of the Reflectors dolls. Those were hers. The Reflectors were her favourite all-female rock band. You could buy 'action' figures, if you were a big enough fan—as Shana was. But this wasn't fair of Jem. Shana did as much work as the next girl here in the studio. Jem was being selfish, as she often was.

Who would think that beneath the rock'n'roll queen façade, Jem was truly a bitter and twisted bitch a lot of the time? Certainly none of the Holograms' fans.

Aja rubbed her forehead wearily, knowing that this day was going to be especially long.

*          *          *


	3. Rock On!

**Burning Holograms**

_Rock On!_

"That sounded kinda…"

"Flat."

Aja cocked her head, staring at each of her accusers in turn. Kimber held up a hand and said, "I wasn't gonna say 'flat'." She gave Shana a meaningful look before turning to face Aja again. "I was gonna say, it sounded kinda tired. Just like you look."

"Yeah, you should get some rest," Stormer agreed, causing Aja to bark a sharp laugh. _Sleep? I should be so lucky, with Jem as a member of my band!_

The laughter faded quickly, and Stormer's face turned serious. "I know. No sleep for us today, right?"

"We'll get an hour-long nap this evening if we're lucky," Kimber muttered, feeling as frustrated as anyone about Jem's dictatorship qualities. She was the woman's sister and _still_ couldn't say a thing to the lead singer—not if she wanted to live to see the next day, anyway.

The three women's gazes swivelled as one as the studio door opened. Jem entered with a cordless microphone in hand. She looked almost perky at the moment, despite the hard day they'd all had. It confused the others.

Jem had been working them hard today, demanding the kind of discipline that they would have been all too happy to maintain if they hadn't been utterly exhausted already. They really had no choice, though. Jem would hear no excuses. And they _did_ have a lot of work to do, excuses aside. It was just so tiring. Aja wasn't the only one with bags under her eyes.

"Hey, honeys," Jem said perkily, and they all knew that this was indeed one of her 'happy' moments. It was safe to be a little relaxed for now, at least. _How long will it last?_ Aja found herself wondering as she replied, "Hey Jemmie! Ready to rumble?"

The Holograms rocked the studio that day.

*          *          *


	4. Batting Away a Helping Hand

**Burning Holograms**

_Batting Away a Helping Hand_

"Alright, what have we got?"

That was Jerrica, talking to her self. She was also pacing with her silky white-blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail and a pen in her mouth. She looked more businesslike than her alter ego, the wild rock star Jem.

She was the only one in the studio at this ungodly hour, and she found comfort in the solitude. Without the others around, clearly depending on her, she felt far freer, less weighed down by responsibility. Less stressed out. She could think more clearly about what they were going to do to get out of this rut.

"'Puttin' It All Together'…'Twilight in Paris'… 'Set Your Sails'…"

Tears welled in her eyes as she spoke that last title aloud, and her voice cracked. Rio…he was gone. He'd said he needed a break, and that she needed one too. He said they needed to find out what they really wanted, and the best way of doing that was to separate for a while. Whether she was Jerrica or Jem, she could feel the pain of knowing what his words had implied. _He doesn't want me anymore, is that it?_ She had asked herself that question many times but had never come up with a satisfactory answer.

Wiping at her eye delicately, she bent to place the sheaf of papers on the table, and turned away. She looked around her, thinking suddenly that the studio felt very empty tonight. She'd never noticed it before; perhaps it was only because of the Rio fiasco that she was doing so now. Usually she thrived on solitude. Usually she did her best work when she was alone.

"Set your sails for adventure…"

She sang the first words out in a tremulous voice, feeling her throat begin to ache. Jerrica's voice never sounded quite as controlled as Jem's at least not to either of their ears. _Uh-oh_, Jerrica thought. _The sore throat; this means copious amounts of tears are ensuing_. She couldn't have that; couldn't have any weakness, not now. She had a job to do.

The Holograms were in dire need of a comeback, to balance out the threat from the Misfits quarter. Jerrica Benton prided herself on being a cool member of the management team, the most levelheaded one there. On stage a few weeks back Jem had thought, _Pizzazz will never get the better of me again_. It was Jerrica's job (for which she volunteered, of course) to ensure Jem's wishes were fulfilled.

The phone on the wall shrilled, causing Jerrica to start. _God in heaven_, she thought to herself, and hurried over to it, her heart racing. "Hello?" she said in a pipey, businesslike voice.

"Jerrica, hi! It's Stormer."

Jerrica's eyebrows rose. What was Stormer doing calling the studio at this hour?

"Well, hi there. How are you doing, Stormer?"

Jem had always been civil to Stormer, and that had confused her from the start. She was nicer to Stormer than she was to the Holograms most of the time.  Nobody understood it, not even Stormer—who was as civil to Jem as Jem was to her. Stormer was just so tolerable. _Unlike all of the other Misfits_, Jerrica thought coolly. _That's because Stormer isn't a misfit. She fits into this world of ours perfectly_.

"I wanted to check in," Stormer said softly, her voice warm. "See how you're doing and the like."

"Oh." Jerrica paused. "Mm, well thanks. I'm doing pretty well. We've been working hard for days. We're really getting somewhere. I can feel the sound moving in a totally new direction."

"Really? That is so great! I'm really glad to hear you guys are doing better."

"What do you mean, 'better'?" Jerrica asked, suddenly suspicious.

"Uh…well Pizzazz mentioned some of your struggles. You know, Rio, the messed up record deal, and so forth."

_Pizzazz would!_ "I see. You can tell Pizzazz that she needn't worry." Jem would've said something much harsher; something like, _'Tell that bitch to stay out of our business'_. But this wasn't Jem speaking. That was a fortunate thing, for she would've offended Stormer dreadfully. The Misfit always tried to mediate between her own band and the Holograms: she hated to hear the insults flying, as they so often did in this world.

"Pizzazz, as you know, is rather hot-headed. I can't tell her much of anything and expect her to listen." There was a hint of laughter in Stormer's voice.

"I understand," Jerrica murmured, thinking that Jem was rather similar to Pizzazz in that way. Jerrica rubbed her eye with the heel of her hand, heedless of where it smudged her subtle make-up. "Look, Stormer." Jerrica pressed her lips together, staring at the ground, and then continued. "I need to get going. I have things to take care of before I leave for home tonight."

"Oh, sure," Stormer said. "But I just had one question. About Rio. I just wondered if you heard from him today."

Jerrica bowed her head. "I hate to be abrupt, but I don't want to talk about Rio. He's not a priority right now. Honestly, I'm feeling rather exhausted."

She'd just had enough. Even if Stormer was the kindest person she knew, she couldn't handle her interference right now. She had one thing to focus on, and one alone: the success of the band. The new songs they had been working on would make the band as great as they had been after releasing their second album. If Jem had her way—and she usually did—the Holograms would be #1 again. Jerrica would be a big part of the process.

"Okay, sister," Stormer said softly. "But you take it easy, hear me?"

Jerrica uttered a response, feeling warmed by Stormer's friendship, and replaced the receiver. She stood staring at the phone for a moment before pushing off from the wall and heading out the door. She turned the light off on the way, feeling a surge of satisfaction about having got a lot done today.

Now it was time to go home, after a quick word with the Security team in the Record Studio building, and run herself a hot bath. A glass of white wine and some chocolates wouldn't go astray, either, she decided as she grabbed for her jacket and purse and headed out the door.


	5. Furiosity

**Burning Holograms**

_Furiosity_

Jem was just about in tears again, Aja noticed. It made no sense that anyone should be getting so worked up over a single. She had almost decided to be brave and ask Jem what was the matter, when Shana stepped up to the plate on her behalf.

"Jem, babe," the purple-haired woman said in her deep voice. "What's up with this freaking? We're just choosing singles. It's not that difficult. Just whatever will sell the best; and we've had a formula to work with since we got together, and Jem, it's _always_ worked. So why do you wanna take us off the path now?"

"Very good question," Kimber contributed, nodding with a finger placed over her lips. "I mean, now, of all times. When we really need to get back up there again. We should do it in a way that we know works."

Jem's face was twisted in what appeared to be a mix of anger and anguish! Aja couldn't believe it. Maybe the Rio thing had affected _her_ more than she was letting on? What else could possibly be causing her such obvious grief? Jem was often angry, but never despairing!

"I know what works," Jem said sharply, wiping at her red-rimmed eyes. "Remember, I've taken this band to the top every time before."

"Um, actually," Shana interjected once more, "_we_ took this band to the top. That is, all of us. Honey, all our brains together are far better than yours alone. The Holograms formula was invented by all of us together; we all contributed."

"Yeah? Well fuck you guys, then. You can have 'Twilight in Paris' as a single. See if I fucking die over it. I _dare_ you to leave 'Set Your Sails' alone and go for 'Paris' instead, just to see how far down the charts we can slip before you guys realise what's needed."

And she stalked out of the room, undoubtedly seeking some innocent bystander to yell at—she was good at that most of the time.

"Geez," Aja breathed, burying her face in her hands. "How're we gonna handle that? She is just so unreasonable. We can't possibly have a good discussion with _that_ attitude in the room."

"Well," Shana replied, "it's not in the room anymore. Let's just see what we come up with. We'll draw up a plan and put it to Jerrica."

"Okay," Kimber sighed. "I still say that 'Only the Beginning' is single material."

"We know what you say, babe," Shana said sourly. "But we also know that there is no way in hell that's gonna happen. Jem's not the only one who believes firmly that song is a b-side at best."

Kimber pouted. She'd especially loved her keyboard playing on that track. She supposed she'd have to wait her turn yet again, to get a shot at the spotlight. She was actually amazed anyone had got any so far, apart from Jem.

"Sometimes I wish Jerrica could sing like Jem," Aja murmured, head bowed.

"You're kidding?" Shana was staring at her. "You _know_ that nice girls don't make great rock stars. Jem _has _it. She has the stuff rock stars are made of. That's why we got where we are today."

"Apart from your exceptional instrument handling," Pizzazz announced from in the doorway, her wild jagged make-up as usual making Aja squint. More than that, though, was the new hair colour she sported.

"My God, woman," Shana exclaimed, rising to greet the enemy frontswoman. "What on earth are you _wearing_?"

It was said jokingly, because Pizzazz's business suit was surprisingly mild compared to her hair.

"More importantly," Pizzazz retorted, "who did your make-up this morning? I can hardly see your eyeballs beneath all that dust."

"Ha-ha, you're hilarious as ever, Pizzazz." Stormer grinned widely, but suddenly the grin faded. "What're you doing here. Jem'll kill you if she catches you in our studio space."

"Actually," Pizzazz said dreamily, "this is _my _space now."

"Excuse me?" Aja was the one who had spoken this time. She was standing too, and saw Kimber getting to her feet from the corner of her eye.

"You guys are moving out, and the Misfits are moving in." There was a wicked glint in Pizzazz's bright, feline eyes. "Seems that's the way of things in general these days, doesn't it?" She smiled menacingly, her bright hair swaying as she moved her head from side to side. "Music charts, for instance."

"It's sad the way fans are being brainwashed these days," Shana said easily. "Being made to think that _that _stuff sounds good." She was talking about the Misfits' new album, of course. "But never you mind, Miss Longhorn. We're working on liberating those young minds from Misfits tyranny as you and I stand here speaking."

"Oh yeah? Where are you working? Because," Pizzazz said meaningfully, "as I believe I already informed you, this is _my_ studio space now. I bought it twenty minutes ago."

Shana's mouth was open to reply once again, but there was suddenly a deafening shout from the doorway. _"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE, BITCH??!!!!"_

Everyone swivelled on the spot to face a maniacal, red-faced and furious Jem.


	6. Duties

Note: I know it's been a long time between chapters – always is it seems – but at least I am updating at all…right?! Anyway…this may be kinda rushed.

**Burning Holograms**

_Duties_

There was a breathless moment in which Jem and Pizzazz stared at one another, their gazes equally hard. The others all knew that neither would give in easily; in fact, the staring match they were engaged in would be only the beginning of the greater contest, which could easily last all day. The Holograms had no time for that kind of wasteful activity, particularly when, if Jem failed, she'd be in an even worse mood than she was already.

"Let's get out of here," Kimber spoke up suddenly, glancing pointedly at her watch. "We can go to my place and have a few more talks."

Kimber's place doubled as a main headquarters for the Holograms when they weren't at the studio or at the record company offices, which was why she offered it up now as a solution to the problem at hand.

Shana said in agreement, "Yeah, good idea Kim."

Aja said, "Jemmie? Ready to get going?"

Jem continued to stare with fire at her nemesis, who did not look like shying away anytime soon. Jem said stiffly, "I'm not going anywhere. This is our space. _Somebody's_ trespassing."

Pizzazz rolled her eyes. "I have the papers right here if you want to double check them."

"What are you talking about?" Jem asked acidly.

"Like I was telling these ladies before you rudely interrupted, I own this space now, at least for the next twelve hours. You guys better get your asses out of here before I get _you _for trespassing."

Jem laughed mockingly and tossed her head, her masses of carefully teased hair swinging from side to side quite magnificently. "I don't know what your new problem is," she said, "but I think you need to upgrade your medication."

"Actually, Jem, Pizzazz is right," someone new spoke from the doorway, and everyone swivelled on their heels to find another Misfit. This time it was Stormer.

Jem stalked over to the wall phone and snatched up the receiver, stabbing her finger at the keypad as she dialled a number. She waited impatiently, tapping one high-heeled foot and crossing one arm over her middle. Everybody waited in silence, Pizzazz smug, the Holograms slightly anxious, and Stormer almost apologetic.

Finally Jem spoke into the receiver. "Harry, what the fuck is going on?" she snapped, tapping her foot at an even faster rate. "We have two more hours–"

She was clearly interrupted by something Harry, the studio's booking manager, was saying, and Aja shifted closer to Shana and murmured, "I don't like this. She better not explode like last time…"

"Let's just hope she'll keep her cool," Shana responded, trying hard to keep the worry from her face. She always prided herself on being able to let it slide, whatever "it" might be at the time. She usually handled sticky situations with a sarcastic sense of humour and a casually spoken self-confidence. But sometimes, in rare instances, she found it rather difficult to maintain her outer strength. At least she always tried.

Jem's mouth opened in an angry 'o'. "What the hell gives you reason to think you have the right to–?"

She sighed irritably as she was evidently interrupted once again. A few times she tried to say something else, but was either forestalled or just couldn't decide what to say. Aja and Shana exchanged helpless glances.

Finally Jem said, "Well fuck you too then, Harry," and slammed down the receiver. She took a moment to herself, staring at the wall, then inhaled deeply and met Pizzazz's gaze. "Have your fucking space. The microphones are fucked anyway. I'm sure the scratchy sounds they make will complement your voice nicely."

With that she stalked out of the room, snapping at her band-mates, "Kimber's it is. We're going to make a _decision _about this fucking single. You guys can get your own way there, I'm leaving right now."

"Jem, what about your stuff–?"

"I'll get it tomorrow," Jem called, and was gone. The atmosphere she left behind was far from pleasant, as even Pizzazz appeared to have nothing to say. The yellow-haired vixen eventually shrugged and pushed past the Holograms, heading for the control room. "I'm sure I'm going to have to adjust all these levels," she called, purposefully loud enough to allow the enemy band members to hear her words. "You people always mess things up incredibly."

_Us?_ Aja thought incredulously, and turned to Shana. "Wanna catch a ride with me? I don't really want to leave my car here overnight."

Shana shrugged. "Sure." She'd come into work with Jem that morning, but clearly she could not get a lift back in the singer's sports car. "Just let me get my bag."

Aja waited while Shana gathered her belongings, and tried to avoid Stormer's gaze. Yes, it was true that Stormer was more of a Hologram than a Misfit, at least to Aja's thinking, but the fact remained that the woman _was _a Misfit, officially. That set her apart. She was almost an outsider from both camps, Aja realised thoughtfully. How must that make _Stormer _feel?

Kimber tugged at her sleeve and pulled her into a warm embrace. "Don't take it too much to heart, babe," the redhead murmured. "You always have to expect trouble when those two get within a hundred metres of one another."

She was talking about Jem and Pizzazz, of course, assuming that Aja was still upset over the exchange the two women had had. In truth she was, but she had been successfully distracting herself with thoughts of Stormer for a moment there.

"I know," she told her band-mate. "I'm okay with it. Or used to it, anyway." She smiled tiredly.

"Okay, gal. I'm off. I'll see you at my place, yeah?"

"Yeah," Aja agreed, and watched as Kimber turned to leave. The redhead tossed a friendly farewell to Stormer before heading off. Then Aja went back to trying to avoid the Misfit's gaze.

As if summoned somehow by Aja's secret thoughts, Stormer appeared suddenly beside her. "I'm sorry about that," she said softly. "Pizzazz and Jem…it's kind of like they're an entity on their own or something…centre points of good and evil."

Aja smiled wryly. "You and I may have different ideas of which one's good and which one's evil, though."

Stormer looked slightly sad then, and shrugged. "I don't know about that. Sometimes I think they're as bad as each other…just in different ways."

Aja smiled. "Anyway, Stormer, I better get down and get my car out." Her words were a clear end to the conversation, which she was not particularly comfortable having.

Stormer smiled faintly and nodded. "Okay, hon. Nice to see you again."

"Sure," Aja said, and walked out. Shana might get a bit irritated that she hadn't waited, but the purple-haired bassist would get over it. She'd understand.

Aja hid a yawn behind her hand as she walked towards the elevators at the far end of the hall. Sadly, her day was far from over. More headaches awaited back at Kimber's place.


	7. Jem Makes An Effort Stormer Questions Pi...

Note: This chapter was all written tonight, and I have the idea for the next one too. Will probably just start it because it's bedtime. Will post it tomorrow maybe, if I still have the desire to write for this fic by then *g*.

**Burning Holograms**

**_Jem Makes An Effort. Stormer Questions Pizzazz._**

The first order of business once everyone had arrived at Kimber's was to fix a stiff drink. True, alcohol wasn't always the best remedy for headaches, but it was the one with which the Holograms had become most familiar of late. Jem in particular seized the moment with gusto, cheerfully mixing everybody some of her stranger concoctions. Aja ended up with a Squashed Frog on the Beach With Mary, or so Jem called it – she sipped gingerly at first, and finally nodded her approval. Jem seemed almost…relieved.

When they were sitting in the massive lounge room in a circle around the coffee table, Jem set her drink down and rubbed her head with her hands. She clasped her hands together tightly, and still the silence endured – the others knew she wanted to say something.

Finally she sighed and said, "I know, I know… I'm a bitch. Sometimes I get carried away." She winced, and Aja wondered if she had a headache. It wouldn't surprise her – Jem usually had a headache. Aja felt sorry for the woman who she was reluctant to call a friend these days, and wished her comforting gestures would work as they had in the past. "I'm just…determined to get this thing right." She glanced at each of her friends in turn as she said, "We're on a really good roll, and I don't want to dam it now. We've got to roll with the momentum, you know? We've got to stay in tip-top shape."

"Particularly with the rave reviews flying in at us from every which way," Shana commented, and Jem nodded grimly. Aja was relieved that she hadn't exploded in anger.

"Yes, exactly," Jem said. "I know we've already discussed all this…but I just wanted to let you all know that I'm sorry. I'm aware of my faults…and that doesn't mean I'm going to be able to get rid of them. Just that I don't mean to hurt anybody."

"You're under the most pressure, I think," Kimber said softly from beside the lead vocalist, reaching out to squeeze Jem's hand. "We all understand what it's like to a degree."

"And that fucking Pizzazz," Jem muttered. "One of these days…"

Nobody said anything. It was clear that Jem's words of apology hadn't fixed everything, but no doubt everyone in the room appreciated her effort to make amends. She'd have to do more to get back into everybody's good books entirely, but at least she'd tried. Problem was, she tried rather often and never got anywhere. One of these days, surely, she'd take it further than that.

Aja sipped her drink and waited for the discussion to move on.

Jem hadn't forgotten about her concession back at the studio – she'd told them they could have their way and put "Twilight In Paris" out as the second single. But what Jem hadn't banked on was a concession from them in return.

Shana started up that particular thread of conversation when she said, "I think we do need to be a little more…varied."

"How do you mean?" Jem asked, sounding as if she was trying very hard to be open to suggestions. _She looks like her head's about to explode_, Aja thought with a tinge of fond amusement. _But again…she's making an effort. It doesn't go unnoticed, Jem._

"Well, we've all given you our reasons for rejecting 'Set Your Sails' this time around," Shana continued, "but I never said it was a complete no-go."

Jem sighed loudly and flopped back in the chair. "Oh, Christ. What now? Haven't we already _made _this choice? Why are you torturing me like this?"

Shana had held up a hand in protest as Jem had begun talking, and now she leaned forward and said, "Wait a second. Yes, I want 'Twilight' as our single for the moment. But I think all the points you made in favour of 'Sails' were very valid. Why  not pen that down as the next single?"

"That's a risk," Kimber said. "Having that one as our last single. Remember Jerrica said it was going to be a total of four? More than that'd be swamping the market, etcetera?"

"I don't see how a little swamping could go astray," Jem muttered, but not loudly enough that anyone was meant to pounce on it.

"Yes, it's a risk," Shana said, and was about to continue when Aja interrupted, in one of her rare moments of outspokenness.

"…But since when have we been afraid to take risks?"

"Smart risks, that is," Shana agreed. "I think this is a smart one. What do you say, Jemmie?"

Jem said nothing, as a matter of fact – she just chewed on the end of her pen and stewed in her thoughts. The signs were good though – she hadn't rejected their suggestion outright.

_Back at the studio…_

"Why do you have to be such a pain all the time?" Stormer asked, watching Pizzazz fiddle with various level switches. Stormer leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed, head cocked in genuine thoughtfulness.

Pizzazz rolled her eyes. "I'm keeping things hot and bothered. It's a marketing tactic."

"You're not a marketer," Roxy said absent-mindedly from a nearby couch where she lounged lazily.

"I don't have to have a fucking degree to be looking out for my band's interests, do I?" Pizzazz asked snidely.

"Your band's interests lie in pissing Jem off at any opportunity?"

"Not exactly," Pizzazz responded coolly. "Or, should I say, not _literally_. Jem isn't the Holograms, after all. She might think she is, but without the others she'd drown."

"Why do you hate her so much?" Stormer asked.

"She broke Pizzazz's jaw," Roxy quipped from the couch, giggling in amusement. Pizzazz stopped what she was doing and turned a thunderous glare on her band mate. "What?" Roxy asked innocently, for all the world as if she really _didn't _know how irritating she could be. Stormer wasn't a huge Pizzazz fan right now, but she could definitely understand the woman's anger at Roxy in moments like this.

"Sometimes I wonder why I have a moron like you in my band," Pizzazz said loudly, then turned back to her previous task. She seemed to be quite happy to waste time – after all, she wasn't a sounds expert, and she hadn't called anybody up to do the job properly, at least that Stormer could see.

Not waiting for Roxy to respond, if she had been planning to anyway, Stormer said to Pizzazz, "Want me to call up a sound tech?" _Because I sure want to call one before you do a tonne more damage._

"Whatever," Pizzazz muttered. "And to answer your question from before… Jem's a stuck up brat. Once upon a time she was all goody two-shoes – sickening, really. But now she's just a bitch. I have no reason to like her, so why not dislike her with a passion?"

Stormer shrugged. "Point taken…I guess." She walked out into the next room and headed for the phone on the wall. _Pizzazz is actually right_, she thought in amazement. _Jem _has _changed. But I still can't bring myself to hate her. Not yet._

She dialled Harry Lader's number and waited for the guy to pick up. He'd send only his best techs for the likes of the Misfits – especially considering how much Pizzazz had bribed him to steal the studio time from the Holograms.


End file.
